Amritsar: Terming as painful the alleged incidents of desecration of holy books, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said it was a “willful act” to disturb Punjab as he prayed at the Golden Temple here for “return of peace” in the state.

It “is unfortunate and painful. It seems it is a willful act by somebody who wanted to disturb peace in the state,” Kejriwal told reporters here after he arrived on his first visit to Punjab since becoming the Chief Minister in February and was set to meet families of two Sikhs killed in police firing during anti-desecration protests at Faridkot.

The AAP leader condemned the police action, saying it was wrong to use force against people who were protesting peacefully against acts of sacrilege.

Kejriwal said it was the responsibility of Punjab government to arrest the real culprits behind the incidents of desecration of holy books, saying no innocent person should be slapped with “false cases”.

He refused to answer more queries, saying he was here to pray for peace in Punjab.

“Golden Temple has great spiritual power and I prayed before the Almighty for early peace and normalcy to get rid of current turmoil in Punjab,” he said after paying obeisance at the Sikh shrine.

His visit to Punjab assumes significance as AAP is eying the 2017 Assembly polls and has re-structured its unit in the state, where it won its four seats in the last Lok Sabaha elections. The fledgling AAP recently suspended two of the MPs for “anti-party” activities.

While paying obeisance at the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Golden Temple, Kejriwal preferred to go inside along with other devotees, ignoring the VIP passage.Thereafter, he also paid obeisance in front of Akal Takht (the highest Sikh Temporal Seat).

Earlier before entering Golden Temple, he was he was honoured with Siropa (robe of honour) and presented a set of Sikh religious books at the information centre.
However, he did not register his visit in the visitors’ book of the shrine.

After paying obeisance, he went to Kotkapura by road to meet families of two persons who were killed in police firing.

Alleged incidents of sacrilege took place at seven villages in the state in the recent past plunging the state into turmoil with Sikh protesters blocking highways and other key roads.

Police have so far arrested six persons, mostly working in Sikh shrines, in connection with the sacrilege incidents.

Punjab police has alleged “foreign hand” behind the incidents of sacrilege even as the Centre has sought a report from the Punjab government on the matter.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister said he had taken the emergent decision to cancel the Kabaddi Cup in the wake of the recent incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.

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Chandigarh: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday announced cancellation of the sixth edition of the World Kabaddi Cup scheduled to be held in the state from November 14 to 28, in the wake of incidents of sacrilege and protests over them in the state.

Announcing this here, the Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the sports portfolio, said he had taken the emergent decision to cancel the Kabaddi Cup in the wake of the recent incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.

“Kabaddi symbolises the spirit of the Punjabis and their quest for excellence in rural sports. At a time when the entire Sikh community is shell-shocked with grief at the ghastly manner in which Guru Granth Sahib has been desecrated, holding such a tournament is not appropriate,” he said.

Sukhbir said the feelings of the entire Punjabi community had been outraged after the “ghastly incidents of sacrilege”.

“My feelings too have been outraged and my conscience is not allowing me to preside over a tournament at a time when the Sikh community in India and all over the world is in grief over the ghastly acts of sacrilege,” he said.

A series of incidents of desecration of the Sikh holy book followed by protests by religious orgainsations, including hardliners, has put Punjab on boil recently.

Faridkot: Several people were injured in a clash between Sikhs, who gathered to protest the desecration of their holy book, and the police in Punjab’s Faridkot district on Wednesday, eyewitnesses said.

Sources said that police used cane charge, water cannons and even fired in the air to disperse hundreds of protestors from the spot.

The clash took place in the main square of Kotkapura town, 230 km from here, on Wednesday when police tried to arrest leaders of the protestors.

The protestors had tried to block highways towards Moga and Bathinda towns.

The injured included protestors and police officials.

The protestors had pitched their tents in Kotkapura town since Monday to protest the alleged desecration of a ‘bir’ (holy book) of Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari village, 15 km from Kotkapura.

Tension mounted in Kotkapura area on Monday after over 100 pages of the Sikh holy book were found scattered in a street near the gurdwara.

The holy book was stolen from a gurdwara in June.

Protestors clashed with police in Buttar Kalan village of Moga district on Tuesday, leaving many injured.

Police rounded up nearly 200 protestors in Kotkapura on Tuesday but released them later.